Shoe-lacing



'PA'TENTED JAN. 19, 1904.

H. W. PINKERTON.

SHOE LAUING. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1903.

no MODEL.

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, UNTTED STATES Patented January 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHOE-LACING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,904, dated January 19, 1904.

Application filed May 11, 1903. Serial No. 156,579- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. PINKERTON, residing at Randolph, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Shoe-Lacing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in shoe-lacings, and is applicable to the wellknown form of lace-shoes in whicha lacing passing through a series of eyelets in each of the opposing edges of the front part of the upper serves to retain the shoe on the foot of the wearer. In this class of footwear after the laces have been drawn taut to brace the shoe on the foot the ends of the laces are secured by a knot. A common form of knot employed is that known as the single knot supplemented by that known as the doublebow knot. The knothas been heretofore an objectionable feature, both with regard to the time and patience required in tying and untying it and with regard to its unsightly appearance, for the necessary tension upon the knot has had a tendency to give a reduced size and strained appearance to the bow.

It is the purpose of my present invention to provide an easy and rapid method of clasping or fastening together the two ends of the lacing and at the same time to admit of a bow or other ornamental knot of any desired form or character.

My invention consists of a shoe-lacing, near one end of which is secured a clasp or fastening designed to engage with the lacing at a point near its other end, the distance between the first end and the clasp being suflicient to admit of forming a loose bow which effectually conceals the clasp.

My invention consists, further, of an improved fastening device one member of which holds the end of the lacing against the tension imparted by the eyelets and the other member of which controls the position and direction of the said end of the lacing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 gives aview of my improved lacing passed through the eyelets of a shoe, but with the fastening device unengaged and the bow unformed. Fig. 2 shows a partial view of the lacing engaged with the fastening device with a bow formed and sewed thereto, the bow and fastening device being seen from the rear. Fig. 3 shows a rear view of the improved fastening device which I prefer to use in connection with my lacing. Fig. a shows the fastening device seen in Fig. 3 in its flat form before having been been bent into its final shape. Fig. 5 is an end view of the fastening device from the left hand in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows another form of fastening device which may be used with my invention.

My invention in its simplest form, as shown in Fig. 1, consists of a lacing A of suitable length, to which is attached a clasp or fastening device B by stitches g, passing through holes f in said fastening device, the latter being so positioned that the part of the lacing a is of sufficient length to be formed into a bow or other ornamental knot, while the part a is of a length sufficient to pass through the several lacing-eyelets of the shoe, engage the clasp or fastening device, and after so engaging to constitute one of the ends of the bow. If a lacing without tags or confining devices at the ends is used, the end a may be trimmed after lacing to correspond in appearance to the end a and may be subsequently trimmed as is rendered desirable by stretch of the lacing and by wear.

A desirable method of lacing a shoe with my improved lacing is that shown in Fig. 1, which consists in first inserting the end of the lacing a in the upper eyelet e and drawing it through said eyelet until the fastening device B is practically in contact with the eyelet. The end of the lacing a is then passed successively through the eyelets e 6 a, e c c and a This method, however, is not a part of my invention and may be varied.

The form of fastening device which I have shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4:, and 5 is died out in the shape shown in Fig. 4 from a sheet of thin steel or other suitable metal. The holding member (Z is then bent upward, and the positioning member 0 is bent over till it nearly touches the member (Z. been punched, the whole is preferably tinned or nickel-plated.

In engaging the lacing with the clasp B the end (6 is first brought from beneath under the The holes ff having IOO member (Z and wedged between that member and the body part of the clasp by a gentle pull toward the left in Fig. 2. The end a is then passed under the member 0 to impart to it the desired inclination as one of the ends of the bow.

In Fig. 2 a desirable form of my invention is shown, in which the end a of the lacing is initially formed into a bow and permanently attached to the fastening device by the stitches g, passing through the holes f. The width of the center of the bow is preferably made sufficient that the edges of the bow can be drawn over and a little behind the edges of the fastening device to conceal the latter.

In Fig. 6 is shown another form of fastening device which can be used with my improved lacing. It consists of a plate of split soleleather h, which can be sewed to the lacing and into which is riveted a device known in the art as the Pratt fastenerthat is, a piece of spring-wire of helical middle section and ends bent downward at an angle of ninety de grees to serve as retaining devices to holdthe fastening in the leather. The lacing is engaged with this fastening by inserting it between the. turns of the wire 71.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A shoe-lacing having attached to it, at a adapted to engage with the fastening device and become a part of the bow.

3. A shoe-lacing, one end of which is permanently formed into a bow, with a fastening de vice attached to said bow and adapted to en gage with the lacing near its other end, after thle lacing has passed through eyelets of the s 0e.

4:. In combination with a shoe-lacing, a fastening device, one member of which is adapted to engage and hold the lacing at a point near one of its ends, and the other member of which is adapted to support and position the end of the lacing which is secured by the first-mentioned member, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY W. PINKERTON. Witnesses:

I. WENEKEE GAMMoNs, M. A. PEDRICK. 

